Summary:Alpha Protocol is an espionage role-playing game set in the modern world. Loyalty carries a price and no one knows this more than agent Michael Thorton. A talented young agent cast out by his government, Thorton is the only one with the information needed to stop an impending internationalAlpha Protocol is an espionage role-playing game set in the modern world. Loyalty carries a price and no one knows this more than agent Michael Thorton. A talented young agent cast out by his government, Thorton is the only one with the information needed to stop an impending international catastrophe. To do so means he must cut himself off from the very people he is sworn to protect. As players determine how to accomplish different objectives, the decisions made and actions taken in each mission will ultimately transform the type of secret agent Michael Thorton will become. Every choice the player makes as Michael Thorton will carry consequences for his future and the fate of the world. [Sega]…Expand

An astounding variety of ethical decisions, a wide range of believable, fun characters and a thrilling 24esque storyline make Alpha Protocol one of the most compelling role playing games of the last years. But be warned: The artificial intelligence is at times dumb as a rock, the save system seems rather antiquated, the graphics don’t hold up to the genre standard and the mini games are clearly not made for PC gamers. However, Alpha Protocol combines an enthralling storyline with a functioning role playing core and the highest grade of replayability in years! Well made, Obsidian!

Ignore the RPG part and you might trade in the game after two hours; ignore the third-person shooter part and you might replay the game three times over. In short, it needs a sequel to get everything right. Look beyond its obvious faults and Alpha Protocol isn’t frustratingly bad, but frustratingly good; that is, if you care to look that hard.

The abysmal AI, the absolutely disastrous PC controls, boss battles that all but throw out the gameplay style that got you there in the first place, and the complete and total illogic of some of the gameplay systems (like the aforementioned “shields”) all serve to derail what should have been as memorable a game as I’ve played this year.

I specifically signed up for metacritic to review this game. This game is highly underrated, and from someone who has played games for over 15I specifically signed up for metacritic to review this game. This game is highly underrated, and from someone who has played games for over 15 years now, i think it is an injustice to see this game score poorly. The level of engagement in this game, the storytelling, the detailed files and information intelligence gathering makes this game unique and truly satisfying. This is not a dumb persons game. Someone who is impatient(most of the younger generation) and dislikes reading will not enjoy this game. It can be a shooter, but it is a thinking mans spy game with real consequences to your actions. To play a game that TRULY changes outcomes based on your decisions is an enjoyment to play. Thats what makes it so much fun. Make your choice. stick with it. don't reload or re-save, and carve your own destiny in this excellent game. Steam has it for maybe 30 dollars right now. This game is for someone who enjoyed games like mass effect, the witcher, baldurs gate, splinter cell. etc. Splinter cell was done well, but was defenitely not as immersive as this game, and wasnt as satisfying. I felt a real connection to the characters in this game and knew my actions would depend on them living or not. Control wise, the game is passable and not dazzling. but with a story that really gets you immersed, it doesnt matter. texture resolution is high, and gives faces a level of realism that is good. Its not all about flair; its about style, an intelligent story and a deep plot. Its very sad to see games like this not get a sequel because of impatient, brain dead gamers. Cheers,…Expand

Alpha protocol is underrated don't listen to big shot payed big buck reviews..is the game perfect no game is so it has its flaws like a bit ofAlpha protocol is underrated don't listen to big shot payed big buck reviews..is the game perfect no game is so it has its flaws like a bit of frame rate issues animations can look stiff the shooting and the A.I can feel off at times and I hate the hacking but theres nothing game breaking at least for pc versions..the experience is like mass effect meets James bond meets metal gear in a great way..the controls at least for the 360 controller are solid and once you got them down its smooth sailing..graphics if u don't play a game based on graphics it wont matter but if u do there decent ..all in all an enjoyable time…Expand

This game is my favorite Spy game to date, I had really high hops for this game ever since I first saw it announced in gamerreview magazine, This game is my favorite Spy game to date, I had really high hops for this game ever since I first saw it announced in gamerreview magazine, it met alot of my expectations except for one or two charactors that I didnt see in the game or didnt have much dialoge with. This game is alot of fun to play and as much as I love Mass effect 1/2 I think the action/custimization in this game is better, now with that said there are some glitches with enemys that would be AWESOME if they fixed but even with that the story is interesting enough for me to ignore that.…Expand

Note: I'd likely have picked 7.5 if it was available, so I went ahead and rounded up. This may just be the very first title released Note: I'd likely have picked 7.5 if it was available, so I went ahead and rounded up. This may just be the very first title released from a major developer/publisher that I feel most reviewers are being far too hard on. The game is most definitely "clunky" suffering from a whole host of problems. It is most definitely NOT a AAA polished game. But it's not a dilapidated mess either. The vast majority of its problems focus on control and UI. It is quite possibly one of the worst PC ports ever -- with a control scheme that makes little sense on a control being completely obtuse and suffering from a host of sensitivity problems on a PC. But use a 360 controller on the PC and aside from the general clunkiness of the UI (in particular the selecting of "powers" being a several-button, far-too-long process that should be one, maybe two, a la Mass Effect). I haven't see any of the AI problems that most reviewers are mentioning. In fact, by and large, and I'd say the AI is quite intelligent. Aside from a couple instances of bugs where the AI has super-sensing powers, I've experienced largely realistic reactions at least on par with other tactical games out there. The graphics are notably lacking, but far from a deterrent. They aren't bad but they aren't good either. And, most importantly, they are more than adequate for getting the job done and are in absolutely no way detrimental to gameplay. The same could be said of the animations -- lacking, again, but in no way actually detract from gameplay. I find the story to be fairly good (haven't completed yet, rumor is the ending sucks) at least on par with most AAA games released today. For the genre and with the intent of the game to be largely story-driven, it could probably use something with a bit more depth and less predictability, but it's far from bad. I get the impression though that, much like Mass Effect, it's far more linear than they want it to appear. While your individual choices do effect missions slightly, I significantly doubt it effects the overall outcome of the story appreciably. All in all, the game reminds me of Deus Ex in many ways. And perhaps that's the problem -- it plays similarly to Deus Ex -- a game released fully 10 years ago. But if you're the type that can play through a game like Deus Ex, though 10 years old, and appreciate it for what it is (superb, albeit dated in terms of controls, interface, and graphics), I'd be willing to bet that you'll like Alpha Protocol, which suffers from many of the same "issues". The only difference is that we expect the issues it has from a game 10 years old, not from a new game from a top-tier developer. It is a shame, the game could certainly have been a LOT more polished than it is. But it's a long ways from a bad game. I can't particularly recommend it to a wide audience as a "must have" while it's $50-60 (though you may find it worth that as I have). But it's most definitely worth at least $30. Which, given critical reception, it'll likely hit pretty quick regardless.…Expand

Obsidian seem to do better when they fail at ambition (Fallout new vegas, Alpha protocol, Kotor 2, and many others) rather than succeed at aObsidian seem to do better when they fail at ambition (Fallout new vegas, Alpha protocol, Kotor 2, and many others) rather than succeed at a polished safe game (dungeon siege 3 comes to mind). Yes, the developers make flawed games. However let's look at FNV for a moment, it's my favorite fallout game. And yes, it crashes and glitches and breaks. However it's complicated and ambitious, it has detail and quirk. Alpha protocol has it's own breed of ambition. A more subtle kind. What it does with decision making, rpg systems, and genre mixing is engaging and bold. However unlike new vegas, it feels like a budget game. The movement feels akward, the animation feels akward, the action feels arkward. In a pre-mass effect world, people would be more forgiving. However in this climate of action-rpg melding, xp systems in action games, etc. You have the action fans come in and instantly judge it for what they expect it to be. Rather than what it is. And that's not their fault either. What the game truly want's to be is a little hidden. In the end it's a role playing game - and taken as that, the clumsiness can be forgiven with persistence from the player. However if you are easily offput by production values and a budget feel - you will have already stopped playing this game. And that's a shame, because it's got a great choice system at it's heart.…Expand

I want to start off by saying this game is not worth it's full price, if you want Alpha Protocol, wait for it to go on sale as it often doesI want to start off by saying this game is not worth it's full price, if you want Alpha Protocol, wait for it to go on sale as it often does on Steam. With that being said, the game is definitely worth it to anyone who enjoys Espionage stories and games like Mass Effect, in which you feel like you actually have a say in the sequence of events. These two things, the latter especially, I cannot stress enough as being very, very impressive. I've played through the game twice now, and even by doing missions in a different order, you will find that the story has drastically changed. Another great feature is the cast of odd ball characters you encounter. They range from your classic Bond villain, to the stereotypical Saudi terrorist, to the loveable oddballs you would find in a Quentin Terontino film. And this diversity is great and breathes life into the game. Just as you're getting bored with dealing with one set of adversaries a whole new and different group appears. And with that being say, Alpha Protocol is the autistic brother to other games, such as Mass Effect. It does what it does well so good, but it struggles in other areas. Such as gameplay. This game was nearly unplayable until I changed the sound.ini files. The fact my "Takedowns" were just as loud as a shotgun is just unacceptable. Even silenced weapons, which in most games will make your gun silenced, here, however, it just makes a pistol slightly quieter. And there really is no stealth, there is no Splinter Cell going from shadow to shadow, there is no Assassins Creed blending in to crowds, in all honesty, it's Mass Effect with crouching and occasionally enemies won't see you. Shooting, as well, is a little rough. Blind firing, I find, is far more effective than aiming for some reason. Gadgets never do anything. And the hacking mini-games are tedious and boring, adding no extra life to the game, only sucking it away. While Alpha Protocol does suffer from these dehibilitations, with a game like this that frequently hovers around $2 on Steam sales and the ability to make your guns slightly quieter through small tweaking of the system, the story and characters make this game worth looking at.…Expand

I'd like to review the game but seeing as the game crashes at the launcher and the .exe file doesn't run to skip the launcher, it I'd like to review the game but seeing as the game crashes at the launcher and the .exe file doesn't run to skip the launcher, it gets zero. Another good try Obsidian, here's hoping you don't run Fallout New Vegas into the ground like you did with the KoToR series.…Expand